Piano-hammer felt-softening tool



April 28, 1925.

D. PEHDE PIANO HAMMER FELT SEJFTENING TOOL Filed se tfz'r, 1925 PatentedApr. 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES DANIEL PEHDE, F WICHITA, KANSAS.

PIANO-HAMMER FELT-SOFTENING TOOL.

Application filed September 27, 1928. Serial No. 665,186.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL PEHDE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wichi ta, in the'county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Hammer Felt-Softening Tools;'-and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it a-ppertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to a tool for voicing or softening the felt ofpiano hammers.

It is aimed to provide an efficient and in expensive tool of thischaracter operable by relatively movable levers, or onemovable withrespect to the other, and to actuate rotatable pricking members towardeach other.

Another object is to provide a construction in which the turnablepricking mem bers' have very efiicient bearing and support and in whichthe operating parts for such members are efiiciently guided andprotected.

Still another object is to provide a construction wherein the link andlever are flexibly connected together and have flexible connection withthe gripping members so as to actuate the latter.

Various additional objects and advantages, some of which will bespecifically referred to, will become apparent from a consideration ofthe description following taken in connection with accompanying drawingsillustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a view'of the tool in front elevation;

Figure 2 is a view thereof in edge elevation;

Figure 3 is a sectional View on a slightly enlarged scale and takensubstantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure'4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of line 4-4of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Figure 1.

Like reference characters designate like or similar parts in thedifferent views.

In reducing the invention to practice, op erating handles are providedas at 10 and 11. The handles 10 and 11 may be of any approved shape andthe former at the work end has spaced side plates 12 integral with it.Handle 11 is pivoted as at 13 to the plate 12 .and has a free inner endportion 14 operable between said plates. One of the handles, forinstance the handle 10, has a stop pin 15 projecting therefrom to limitpivotal movement of the handle 11 with respect thereto and the lattermay be notched or recessed as at 16 in order to receive the distal endof said pin. A leaf spring 17 may be fastened to the handle 10 and atits free end engage the handle 11 as in a groove 18 thereof, so as tourge the handles 10 and 11 into separated relation at their prickers orpricking ends.

Integral. with the plate 12 are lugs 19 having round surfaces as at 20.Spanning the pairs of lugs 19 and rigidly fastened to said lugs are stubshafts or pins 21 on which gripping members 22 are journaled. Prickers22 are generally cylindrical and have end extensions or flanges 23integral therewith whose inner surfaces are arcuate and in directbearing COntLClJWlth the surfaces 20L Said pricking elements 22 areprovided with series of teeth or spurs as at 24.

A short link 25 at 26 is pivotally connected to the end 14 of the handle11 and at 27 is pivotally connected to a link 28 disposed intermediatethe plates 12 and pivoted on a pin 29 bridging said plates. A pitman 30is pivoted to the portion 14 and to one of the pricking elements 22while a similar link 31 is pivoted to the link 28 and the other prickingelement 22.

In operation, with the parts normally in the position shown in Figure 1and held in that relation and urged to that position by the spring 17,the handles 10 and 11 are adapted to be grasped by the operator with theteeth 24 arranged in pricking engagement with the felt of a piano hammerand compressed which through the movement of handle 11 on its pivot andthe movement of the link 30 corresponding therewith, causes the links 30and 31 to turn the pricking elements 22 part of a revolution and intoeffective pricking relation with the said felt, thus pulling the felt inorder to soften it and to thus result in voicing the piano. After suchan operation, the pressure on the handles 10 and 11 is releasedwhereupon the spring 17 restores the same to normal position.

Particular attention is called to the exceedingly eflicient support andbearing for the pricking bearings due to the augmentation of theirmounting on the shafts 21, by

the bearing engagement oftheir flanges 23 with the curved surfaces 20 ofthe lugs 19.

I claim as my invention z- 1. A tool for softening piano hammer feltshaving turnable prickers, and means to operate said prickerstowardeachother and with respect to the same hammer.

2. A tool for softening piano hammer felts having prickers provided withpricking spurs,and lever means operableto move said prickers toward eachother and with respect to thesam'ehammer.

3. Atool :of-the class'described having a handle provided with plates,shafts carried by said plates, ,prickers mounted on said shafts,a'second handle, said-second handle being :movable relatively to saidfirst mentioned handle, and means operable through movement of thesecond mentioned handle tomove said prickers toward each other.

4. Atoo'l-of-the classdescribed having a handle prickers mounted by saidhandle, a

' second handle, said second handle being movable as alever with respectto said first mentioned handle, a link pivoted to the second-'mentionedzhandle and the first menti'oned handle, and inean's tooperate the pri'ckers toward each other through movement of the secondmentioned handle and 80 i link.

A tool ofthe classdescribed having a handle provided with base plates,lugs on said plates, shafts carried by said lugs,

'prickers journaled on said shafts, a second handle, said second-handlebeing pivoted to said first mentioned handle, a link pivoted to saidsecond-mentioned handle and said first said first mentioned handle, alinkpivoted to said second mentioned handle andsaidlfirst mentionedhandle being located intermedi-- ate said plates, pitman connectionsbetween the second mentioned handle :and links and said prie-kers, saidlugs having. curved :sur-

faces, and said prickers having curved sur faces in bearmg contactwltlrthefirstmentioned curved surfaces.

In test1monywhereof l aifix my s gnature 111' presence of two witnesses.v

a 'DANIEL'PEHDE'.

Witnesses: I -1 SAMUEL SPEAsE. 'XV *Hossrhm; Y Y

